Edwardian Watch Fob
Edwardian watch fobs are miniature metal and stone pieces of jewellery from the early twentieth century that collectors prize for their intricate craftsmanship.
What an edwardian watch fob is
An edwardian watch fob is a piece of jewellery designed to hang from a pocket watch chain or albert. These items appear in both gold and silver variants, often paired with sports medals or swivel seals.
The pieces on this page span the Edwardian period, including specific items like sports medals and swivel fobs inset with stones. Collectors encounter gold and silver pieces, sometimes featuring personal inscriptions or named sporting clubs.
Materials and construction
Maker's workshops utilised precious metals such as nine-carat gold, fourteen-carat gold, and sterling silver to fabricate these charms and medals. Plated metals also appear across the archive alongside solid gold and silver construction.
Stones like bloodstone were cut and polished to fit swivel mounts, while silversmiths engraved presentation details onto curling medals and shields. Chains and medals were joined using traditional metalworking techniques of soldering and casting.
Assessing quality
Quality rests upon the weight and purity of the metal, distinguishing solid nine-carat or fourteen-carat gold pieces from plated base metals. Crispness of engraving on sports medals also separates standard production from finer commissioned work.
The choice of hardstones matters, with well-polished bloodstone panels showing superior finish compared to plain metal reverses. Maker marks and clear hallmarks add distinction to silver items.
David McGregor
The Edwardian Watch Fob Glossary
- Bloodstone
- A dark green chalcedony quartz flecked with red jasper spots. This gemstone is commonly found set into swivel fobs of the period.
- Albert
- A short or long pocket watch chain worn across a waistcoat or attached to a belt. Fobs hang directly from these chains.
- Hallmark
- An official stamp applied by an assay office to indicate metal purity and origin. These marks help verify the age and material of silver and gold items.
- Curling medal
- A sporting award related to the traditional Scottish ice game. These medals feature specialised regional engraving and club details.
Frequently Asked Questions
How were watch fobs worn?
These pieces hung from a pocket watch chain draped across the front of a waistcoat or jacket. They served as decorative pendants that made it easier to pull a pocket watch from a pocket.
Today, collectors often adapt them to wear as modern pendant necklaces on fine gold or silver chains.
How do I identify Edwardian silver?
Edwardian silver items carry hallmarks that include assay office symbols, date letters corresponding to the early 1900s, and a standard mark such as a lion passant for sterling silver. Maker's marks alongside these official stamps identify the specific silversmith.
Checking these tiny stamped letters provides the exact year of manufacture for pieces from this era.
Are sports medals considered fobs?
Many sporting awards from the period were manufactured with loops specifically designed to attach to watch chains. Clubs issued these silver and gold medals for competitions such as curling.
They function both as historical sporting memorabilia and as decorative watch fobs.